It's astonishing to Luke that he can feel so comfortable around someone and so completely out of his element at the same time, but it's been the case with Reid almost right from the start. Just being around him, listening to him speak, learning about all the things he knows and hearing about all his experiences, it's one of the places he feels most content no matter what else is going on around him. But then he becomes painfully aware of how deeply attracted he's grown to his friend, too, and there is a part of Luke that starts to panic. It isn't that he doesn't want to be attracted to him, but he's spent so little of his life being really aware of his own sexuality that it comes as something of a surprise to him. Something he isn't sure what to do with.
He remembers being attracted to men, he knows it's happened to him. There was Valentine, of course, but he had known with absolute certainty that ever trying to pursue something there would have been an incredible mistake. And there was Alaric, yet another man he had been so uncertain around. He'd been their leader, Alaric had insisted on calling him sir for weeks until Luke had finally gotten him out of the habit. Even then he hadn't really known what to do with himself or the situation and then it had been too late. He doesn't want it to be too late here, but for someone who's spent his entire life in love with one woman, it's a sticky situation to be navigating.
But when the lights come up, he realizes he's not ready for the evening to be over and he's about to gather his courage, open his mouth and ask Reid if he would like to get some dinner when his friend takes the initiative and does it himself. Luke laughs, feeling a warmth creeping up the back of his neck at Reid's joke, although it doesn't make him uncomfortable. It just sort of stirs something in him, something that's been left ignored for the better part of his life and he grins, almost looking shy.
"No, it's alright," he says, looking around the theatre. "Mindy will be busy for the rest of the night I expect." He can see Danny standing with her and he nods in their direction, trying to keep his movements subtle as he and Reid head for the door. "I'm fairly certain the two of them are deeply in love with each other and are refusing to admit it. They're from the same place before here and neither of them have ever actually said anything, but it seems fairly obvious to me." It's in the way they look at each other. He knows he looks at Jocelyn in the same way.
Now and then he feels like he's starting to look at Reid in that manner as well. He tries to reign it in, but it's difficult, the urge to just glance over at him and smile.
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He remembers being attracted to men, he knows it's happened to him. There was Valentine, of course, but he had known with absolute certainty that ever trying to pursue something there would have been an incredible mistake. And there was Alaric, yet another man he had been so uncertain around. He'd been their leader, Alaric had insisted on calling him sir for weeks until Luke had finally gotten him out of the habit. Even then he hadn't really known what to do with himself or the situation and then it had been too late. He doesn't want it to be too late here, but for someone who's spent his entire life in love with one woman, it's a sticky situation to be navigating.
But when the lights come up, he realizes he's not ready for the evening to be over and he's about to gather his courage, open his mouth and ask Reid if he would like to get some dinner when his friend takes the initiative and does it himself. Luke laughs, feeling a warmth creeping up the back of his neck at Reid's joke, although it doesn't make him uncomfortable. It just sort of stirs something in him, something that's been left ignored for the better part of his life and he grins, almost looking shy.
"No, it's alright," he says, looking around the theatre. "Mindy will be busy for the rest of the night I expect." He can see Danny standing with her and he nods in their direction, trying to keep his movements subtle as he and Reid head for the door. "I'm fairly certain the two of them are deeply in love with each other and are refusing to admit it. They're from the same place before here and neither of them have ever actually said anything, but it seems fairly obvious to me." It's in the way they look at each other. He knows he looks at Jocelyn in the same way.
Now and then he feels like he's starting to look at Reid in that manner as well. He tries to reign it in, but it's difficult, the urge to just glance over at him and smile.